We were finally able to spend a Christmas with family in Mexico after three years of quiet holidays as a family of three in Los Angeles. Travel is one of the most significant and effective ways to immerse your child in a language and culture. Aside from the obvious benefits for our girl’s bilingual development, travel to Latin America for us is a matter of connection to the essence of who we are and to the heart of our heritage. There is no better way for our girl to understand and love where we come from if she doesn’t experience it herself.

There’s no better time than the holidays to experience that connection as it is the most ideal moment when our cultures flourish and are alive with tradition. It is also when the extended family gets together and real bonding occurs. Our ideal is to be able to spend las Fiestas in México with my husband´s family one year, and in El Salvador with my family the next year. This year we were able to make it to México City just in time for la cena de Nochebuena at my husband´s grandmother´s house where it is tradition for more than 25 people to sit in a table on Christmas Eve every single year. His abuela is almost 90 years old and is still the life of the party, which usually lasts until 4 am.

We´ve been in the city for three days now and, aside from Christmas Eve dinner and the recalentado party on Christmas day, we´ve been spending our time absorbing the colors, sounds and tastes of the Mexico Lindo y Querido we adore. I´m happy to share our travel with you so you can see the imprint that is being made on Camila´s memory bank. These are the images that are shaping our bilingual and bicutlural niña. (Note: I´ve ommitted any pictures from family gatherings out of respect for our extended family)

Camila ran with excitement as soon as she saw the giant traditional star-shaped piñata hanging over the main plaza in Coyoacán, México. Coyoacán is a historic town that one day used to be in the outskirts of Mexico City and now has been engulfed by it. It still remains quaint and bohemian with its cobble-stone roads, plazas, fountains and hacienda-like homes.

She ran straight from the giant piñata to the mass of globos and begged, begged for one of the big ones. We compromised for a pink balloon on a stick. You can see how happy that made her!

Mexico´s culinary tradition has made it recipient of the Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the UNESCO. By far one of my favorite cuisines, and one I constantly crave, is the Oaxacan. Thus, Los Danzantes on Plaza Coyoacán was our first stop as soon as we made it to México City on Friday. Mole, mezcal, chapulines (yes…grasshoppers!), huitlachoche and crepas de cajeta were all devoured. Camila wasn´t too open to tasting the chapulines. I guess we need to give it more time for insects to make it to her palate!

While we ate at Los Danzantes, Camila decided to take in the view of Coyoacán from the balcony.

La Parroquia y Plaza de San Juan Bautista in Coyoacán. This space was recently cleaned up from all food and trinkets vendors.

The street-food vendors, typical of Sundays and holidays in Coyoacán, have been moved to side streets. Camila was excited to try the buñuelos which were being prepared in front of her.

A warm cup of ponche Navideño being served just for me. Camila learned to chew on the warm caña to squeeze out the sugar juice. Yum!

The day after Christmas we headed out to El Museo Dolores Olmedo to visit the immense hacienda she inherited to the Mexican people so we could all appreciate her love for the arts.

The xoloizcuintli, also known as the Mexican hairless dogs, were one of Dolores Olmedo´s passions. Tlaloc, above, and his unnamed brother are direct descendants from the male and female xoloizcuintlis she had as pets. These dogs, once revered by the Aztecs, truly are gorgeous and gentle dogs. It was a treat for Camila to be able to pet a hairless dog!

We had to stop and admire these gigantic maguey plants that adorn the Dolores Olmedo gardens. They are definitely over 11 feet tall and impressive.

Minutes away from the Dolores Olmedo Museum are the famous Xochimilco trajineras. A very typical Sunday spot, we joined the crowds of locals and tourists alike for a ride around the Xohimilco waters full of mariachis and vendors in colorful chalupas (small boats.)

A Salvadoreña, a Mexican-Dutch and a bicultural Angelena all smile at the end of an eventful and memorable holiday weekend.

We still have one more week of travel in Mexico (update: those pictures and story here) and we’ll be receiving 2011 from here. I will be sharing more of our trip during the whole week.

We´d love to see & share your bicultural holiday or family travel pictures. Please send to madre{at}spanglishbaby.com and we can create an inspirational gallery. Do tell us about your memorable cultural travels in the comments below.

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Love the pictures. They brought back many happy memories from when my husband and I visited Mexico City. We visited many of the same sites. Did you get to Teotihuacan. Ancient ruins fascinate me. When I was pregnant with Luke, my husband and I drove all over the Yucatan peninsula visiting sites with Mayan ruins. So many amazing places to explore and many times we were the only tourists there. I am looking forward to taking my boys to Peru this summer. They already love to travel.

We didn’t plan for any pyramids this year because of timing and because I feel Camila is still too young for that. I adore Teotihuacan and made a similar trip around the Yucatan Peninsula years ago. I know exactly what you mean about how special it is. My favorite ruins site in Mexico is Monte Alban in Oaxaca. I can not wait to take my girl there.

Gracias, Dari!!! I took all the pictures with the iPhone because it makes it’s easier to carry around while traveling. I also love the look of the app I use! I published a second post with more pictures so you can have more!! LOL!

Qué lindo Ana! You are really taking provecho of your time in aztec land, wow!
Thanks for the pics, they´re lovely. I no longer live in Mexico City and miss it like crazy, but I must say I do enjoy living right in front of my Mexican beach in Veracruz.
Although I don´t have bebés yet we got to spend Christmas with lots of niños prestados from my husband´s friends. They all came together this year from many corners of the world: Australia, the USA, and many rinconcitos mexicanos. So great to spend the Holidays with friends and bicultural kids!
FELIZ 2011 Y MUCHAS BENDICIONES!
Sue

Thanks, Sue!! It has definitely been a very special trip. I wished we could have done more, but we had some sick days that took their toll. How lovely you got to spend time in Mexico City with familia!! Happy New Year and bendiciones to you.

Ana I am so excited to do this with my family! Especially with Sabrina. Marcus and I have traveled almost every year since we have been married and I used to go somewhere every year before I met him. I started traveling when I was 20 and have been hooked ever since. I never really thought about going out of the country until a friend of mine invited me to. Funny how you dont know what you are missing until you experience it.

What a great opportunity for your bebita. I have friends that have grown up bicultural and traveling. I think it can open anyones world and broaden their perspective. My parents did the best they could to teach us about other cultures (including our own), but did not have the means to travel extensively…..luckily we lived in southern california and could drive over to baja every once in a while. Anyway….thanks again for sharing with us

Alicia Maher was born in El Salvador and resides in Los Angeles CA since 1986. She learned to cook at a young age authentic Salvadoran food from her grandmother, great aunts, aunts and her Salvadoran friends. For almost thirty years Alicia has passionately carried and shared her country and ancestors’ culinary traditions with family and friends. In her cookbook Delicious El Salvador: 75 Authentic Recipes for Traditional Salvadoran Cooking, she sets out to preserve and teach El Salvador’s home cooking history, flavors and dishes to future generations. She is also the former owner of two full service bakeries in the Los Angeles area, and has taught private cooking classes for the last five years. Before moving to Southern California, Alicia lived in Israel and Washington, D.C. She graduated from UCLA in 1992 with a BA in Art History. Alicia has been married to Joseph since 1988; they are the parents of three sons. Delicious El Salvador: 75 Authentic Recipes for Traditional Salvadoran Cooking is her first book.